By RACHEL EMERSON
Asst. News Editor
Northwest Technology Center in Alva played host to two guest speakers last Thusday.
The seminar started with guest speaker Dr. Shannon L. Ferrell from the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service. Ferrell’s presentation was tailored to land owners and consisted of the break down of surface agreements and oil and gas leases. For more information on the topic, a handbook can be found at www.agecon.okstate.edu.
The second part of the seminar was lead by Dr. Todd Halihan, Professor of Oklahoma State University Boone Pickens School of Geology. The presentation, titled “Oklahoma Earthquakes: Discussing Science to Inform Policy”, focused on the earthquakes Oklahoma has been experiencing in recent years and what could possibly be causing them: hydraulic fracking.
Halihan’s presentation included information about the conflict between the oil and gas industry and the United States Geological Survey, history about Oklahoma’s oil and gas industry and its possible role in the earthquakes and what options there are in handling the situation.
Halihan said when he came to Oklahoma in 2000, there were an estimated 1.6 earthquakes a year that were recorded at greater than a magnitude 3. Last year, the estimated number was 904 earthquakes that were recorded at a magnitude greater than 3.
He said that these measurements are sloppy and don’t display a “perfect line” but either way, these numbers have grown significantly in the past five years. “Oklahoma is not earthquake central,” Halihan said.
Halihan said another thing that throws these numbers off is that different intensities are felt between Oklahoman’s based on where they’re at when the earthquake hits. “There’s a lot of variability because what some people may feel as a 3, some people next door may not feel at all,” Halihan said.
Next, Halihan explained how the timing, volume and rate at which an injection is put into the ground effect how an earthquake is made.
As an example, Halihan said when Oklahoma had an ice storm a few months ago, all of the wells were shut off and then turned back on at the same time, which caused the ground to rumble.
“How you put it into the ground; what rate, what volume and what timing, effects how you make those earthquakes,” Halihan said.
Halihan then talked about some of the responses from the state of Oklahoma
Responses from the state include implementing the stoplight system, forming a council – the Oklahoma Corporation Committee, reworking or shutting down wells and increasing communications with the owners of the wells. These are all actions that will help to determine which wells may be making the earthquakes.
On the other hand, some things that haven’t helped, according to Halihan, include decreasing the funding to the Oklahoma Corporation Committee and the Oklahoma Geology Survey, not setting any maximums on how much can be injected, allowing oil companies to voluntarily comply, allowing the placement of more wells in earthquake active areas and the fact that seismologists are leaving the state.
Halihan said of all of the wells in the zone where earthquakes are most frequent, an estimated 550 to 600 wells, it’s probably 30 of them that are making earthquakes. This zone includes the following Oklahoma counties: Woods, Alfalfa, Grant, Garfield, Noble, Pawnee, Logan, Payne, Lincoln, Oklahoma, Seminole, and Okfuskee.
“You’d have to do some work inside of every single well to determine which ones are causing the earthquakes and which ones aren’t,” Halihan said.
The way this is currently being worked is by defining which areas inside that zone are experiencing the most or largest earthquakes and forcing the owners of the wells in that area, particularly the ones with high injection levels, to drop their injection levels.
The thing that makes this more difficult is that over time the earthquake happens further and further away from the well that may be making it in something called the Kaiser effect. Halihan said the locations of the fault lines have an impact on this as well.
Halihan said that there is a new fault map being released on March 30. It will be released on the United States Geological Survey website, www.usgs.gov. Halihan said it is believed to bring in quite a bit of news coverage.
Halihan then discussed possible options in preventing the earthquakes.
One option at this point is continuing to reduce seismicity with the limited funding of science or regulatory agencies. Also, having more intervention with repair funds, seismic management funds and creating a neutral party.
According to Halihan, the Oklahoma Geolocical Survey is going to be working with the donated Sandridge wells to collect more data. “It would’ve been great to get the data five years ago when these things started, but hopefully we’ll be getting it now,” Halihan said.
Another option would be to fund research for effective management so that the seismic activity would be reduced, but we could still strengthen the energy industry at the same time. To fund this research would cost approximately $50 million.
As far as what we can do right now, since the earthquakes are present is reporting every earthquake to help the Oklahoma Geological Survey determine the magnitude.
To report an earthquake, visit www.usgu.gov and click the “Did You Feel It” tab. The program will ask a series of questions to determine what magnitude the earthquake was.
“Most people report the big ones, which is great, but we need them to report the small ones as well because we need to know where all they are being felt,” Halihan said.
Halihan said another important program to implement would be school earthquake drills and city earthquake seminars on how to protect yourself in an earthquake. One website with good information about staying safe during an earthquake is www.shakeout.org.
For more information about earthquakes in our state visit www.earthquakes.ok.gov.